Monday, November 10, 2014

Government refutes allegations by UK based intelligence agency

The government yesterday
refuted reports on allegations raised by the UK based Environmental Intelligence
Agency (EIA) which it claimed that Chinese officials transacted an illegal
ivory trade during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the country in
March 2013. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Benard Membe made it clear and told the National Assembly that, “the alleged
report is not true and that, the perpetrators of such reports are envious to
Tanzanian government which has built a firm diplomatic relations with China” Minister
Membe clarified the matter when responding to a question raised by Dr. Hamisi
Kingwangala (CCM) a Member of Parliament for Nzega constituency, who wanted to
know the government’s stand over the allegations which has brought bad image to
Tanzania. Clarifying over the matter to law makers, Minister Membe noted that
the report is baseless with intent to disrupt the good image of the long
standing relationship of the two countries which has been maintained over 50
years now since independence time. He said ivory trade is engaged with
different businessmen from Africa continent with their counterparts in Asian
and European countries, and that the recent impounded ivory tusks in containers
at Dar es Salaam port has never been proved to have originated in Tanzania. Minister
Member further noted that, the two countries actively participated in a recent
International Wildlife Conference which among other things it had signed an
accord to stop ivory trade as stipulated in United Nations conventions. However,
Minister Membe noted that, Tanzania will continue its bilateral relations with
Chinese government in every sphere of economic development, bearing the fact
that, China has been helping Tanzania in its economy in areas of railways
construction and other economic infrastructure on cheap loan basis. The latest
report of EIA issued mid this week claimed that, members of Chinese government
and business delegation that accompanied Chinese President in the country
bought so much ivory that local prices doubled to $ 700 (Sh. 1.1 million) per
kilogramme. The UK based agency firm cited in its report that ivory traders in
the city of Dar es Salaam that were involved in this illegal business
transaction.

Foreign Affairs Minister Benard Membe

The EIA report cited a trader in
Tanzania's main port city, Dar es Salaam, named as Suleiman Mochiwa, who met
undercover investigators. According to the report,
the delegation team used the opportunity to procure such a large amount of
ivory that local prices increased, a factor that, the Chinese government has denied the report
dismissing it as baseless. Conservationists say demand for ivory in
China is fuelling poaching in African major game reserve and in recent years,
poaching has increased across sub-Saharan Africa, with criminal gangs
slaughtering elephants for ivory.Tanzania is the largest source of poached
ivory in the world, according to the EIA. 'Security checks averted' investigators
alleged that the Chinese buyers could take advantage of a lack of security
checks for those in the country on a diplomatic visit. "The
two traders claimed that a fortnight before the state visit, Chinese buyers
began purchasing thousands of kilos of ivory, later sent to China in diplomatic
bags on the presidential plane," the report added.The illegal ivory trade is
flourishing in China, where many prize ivory carvings as valuable status
symbols. The country's state media publicises the arrests of smugglers and,
earlier this year, the first televised destruction of confiscated ivory. Complicating
the issue is that China allows limited sales of legal ivory. Conservationists,
both inside China and outside its borders, argue that the government needs to
ban sales completely in order to stop the trade in its tracks. "The report
is groundless, and we express our strong dissatisfaction," Chinese foreign
ministry spokesman Hong Lei is quoted as saying by the Associated Press news
agency.The
ivory trade was banned in 1989 by the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). Both China and Tanzania are
signatories. Earlier this year China for the first time destroyed a large
quantity of confiscated ivory, in a public event described by conservation
groups as a landmark move.

AWARD 1

I won the second prize in policy category of the African Information society Initiative ( AISI) awards 2004 which is annually organized by the United Nations- Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA) based in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. On the first photo above standing with other awardees after the Ceremony at the National Settlers monument in Grahamstown, South Africa.This was during the 8th Highway Africa Conference.The second photo shows the cross section of Jounalists from different African countries who attended the ceremony.

AWARD 2

I also won the AISI-GKP/SDC Media Award special reporting on WSIS process and Africa, and conferred with the award in Tunis, Tunisia during WSIS summit in 2005. See the photo above.

AWARD 3

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about " Stigma denial and Discrimination" associated with HIV/AIDS. This was organized by theAssociation of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT). On the Photo above President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania, ( then the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony.This was at Maelezo auditorium in Dar-es-Salaam September 2005.

AWARD 4

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about "Vulnerable Children" associated with HIV/AIDS This was organized by the Association of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT)

AWARD 5

Winner of the National ICT Media Award organized By SWOPNET in the Country. On the photo above Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Brigadier General ( Rt) Saidi Kalembo was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony which was held at New Sarvoy Hotel in morogoro town.I was awarded a Mobile phone and a tape-recorder.

AWARD 6

I participated in the Media Competition in writing about VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) in Tanzania which was held between July 15th and October 30th 2008 whereby I emerged among the top five winners. The competition was under the program known as “Tanzania bila Ukwimwi inawezekana” which literally means, Tanzania without AIDS disease transmission is possible”. This is a program which was organizedby the Association of Journalists Against AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) under TACAIDS funding. In the photo, I am being presented with a certificate of participation by the Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Dr. Fatma Mrisho in a colorful ceremony which was held on 22nd December 2008 at Tanzania Information Centre in Dar es Salaam.

AWARD 7

AWARD 8

AWARD 9

I was among the top 17 best selected students who excelled in their final examinations of the 2010/2011 academic year and awarded with the Vice-Chancellor’s prize. I scored 4.5 GPA (First Class) in BA in Journalism. Above I am being given a certificate by the Chairman of the Open University of Tanzania Board of Senate. Standing at the centre facing camera is the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tolly Mbwette. Extreme left partly hidden is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Elifas Bisanda. This occasion took place during the convocation meeting, a day before the graduation day at the prospective permanent headquarter of the Open University of Tanzania which is currently under construction at Bungo-Kibaha in Coast region 40 kilometers away west of Dar es Salaam city.